Premier League
Arsenal Transfer News: Who Is Lucas Torreira?
Arsenal’s new look team is taking shape and Lucas Torriera is set to become the latest player to join up with Unai Emery’s side for £25 million which would be a bargain in today’s market.
Torreira is currently with Uruguay at the World Cup in Russia. On Tuesday, he played the entire 90 minutes in Uruguay’s 2-1 win over Portugal in the last-16.
But what can Arsenal supporters expect from Torreira? How will he fit in at the Emirates?
Who is Arsenal’s new midfielder?
Lucas Torreira is a 22-year-old Uruguayan midfielder currently playing for Sampdoria. He joined the north Italian side in the summer of 2016 from Pescara in Serie B.
Torreira was born in Fray Bentos and featured for Montevideo Wanderers’ youth teams before moving to Italy to join Pescara aged 17.
Just five Serie B matches for Pescara were enough to convince Sampdoria to sign Torreira. He was signed for just £1m, before loaning him back for the 2015-16 campaign.
Since arriving at Sampdoria, Torreira has established himself as a key player at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Last season he missed just five Serie A games across the last two seasons.
What sort of player can Arsenal fans expect?
Given both started their professional careers at Pescara and both play the same position, comparisons with Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Verratti were inevitable. However, there are noticeable similarities between the two players’ styles.
Like Verratti, Torreira is an combative, energetic defensive midfielder who relies on his reading of the game to intercept passes and drive his team forward.
Torreira has brilliant anticipation for a player so young and is a proven ball-winner. He is pestering opposition midfielders in Serie A by nipping in and claiming possession. He demonstrated this in Uruguay’s win over Portugal on Tuesday, with a terrier-like performance to keep Cristiano Ronaldo and co quiet.
His game in the final third needs work. Torreira doesn’t boast the play-making ability of Verratti yet and has managed just eight senior career goals. However, he already has all the attributes required for his position as a disciplined, defensive-minded midfielder, perfect for Uruguay’s dogged style under Oscar Tabarez.
Standing at just 5ft 5ins, Torreira is a diminutive presence in midfield. However, given the recent success of N’Golo Kante in England, Arsenal will not be deterred.
What has his international career been like?
Heading into the World Cup Torreira had collected just one senior cap for Uruguay. This was as a substitute during their China Cup match against the Czech Republic in March. Nevertheless, the cameo was enough to earn him a place in his their 23-man squad for Russia.
His inclusion is a sign of progression and a move towards a younger. He is more dynamic Uruguay midfield that focus on creating first and destroying second.
After playing a combined 34 minutes off the bench against Egypt and Saudi Arabia, relatively weak opposition that offered little attacking threat to snuff out, he was handed a start against Russia.
And he didn’t disappoint. Adding dynamism and energy to the Uruguay midfield as they overran their opponents and effectively killed the game off after 36 minutes.
He kept his spot on Tuesday and delivered a tireless performance. He was snapping at the heels and following Portugal’s flair players up and down the pitch. His defensive work alongside his central midfield partner Nahitan Nandez. This allowed Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani to deliver the telling blows up front.
How will he fit in to Arsenal’s new system?
Seamlessly, if Arsenal’s new manager Unai Emery sets up his teams to press in the same manner in which they did at previous clubs Sevilla and Valencia.
For over a decade now, Arsenal’s central midfield has been a problem area for the Gunners. The 2017-18 season was yet another where they failed to settle on a consistent and effective partnership in the middle of the park.
Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny have yet to make the defensive midfield position their own. Whether due to a lack of suitability to the role. However, lack of discipline or lack of tactical instructions from the manager. Under Emery, Arsenal will become a far more tactical unit. If the Spaniard wants a tone-setting midfielder to transmit his message onto the pitch then Torreira looks the perfect signing
